Washington: Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Chairman of the World Forum for Peace & Justice, has called on the international community to respond to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s (USCIRF) recent findings of worsening religious freedom conditions in India. The USCIRF report detailed incidents of violence, arbitrary arrests, and the destruction of religious sites, particularly targeting minorities and emphasizing government complicity in spreading misinformation and hate speech.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the USCIRF’s report, released on October 2, 2024, paints a harrowing picture of religious persecution in India, detailing a year marked by violent attacks on religious minorities, arbitrary arrests of religious leaders, and systematic demolitions of places of worship. The report specifically calls out the use of government-sanctioned misinformation and hate speech that have incited violence against these communities.
The report also addresses the broader implications of India’s policies in Kashmir, noting the particularly severe impact on the region’s Muslim population. Furthermore, the USCIRF expressed concerns about transnational repression, referencing comments by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the alleged Indian government’s involvement in the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Dr. Fai emphasized the critical need for global solidarity and action, particularly urging the Biden Administration to acknowledge and act upon the findings of the report. He highlighted the ongoing restrictions imposed by the Indian government on media and international observers, which he argues only further obscures the reality of the situation.
In his appeal, Dr. Fai called for the support of international figures such as Professor Ghanea to push for an independent investigation into the human rights abuses in Kashmir. He pointed to systematic efforts by the Indian authorities to suppress Islamic educational institutions and control religious trusts as part of a broader strategy to dilute the Islamic identity of the region.
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Fai painted a picture of a historically diverse and harmonious Kashmir, now marred by religious persecution. He stressed the urgency of bringing international attention to these human rights violations to foster a more inclusive and respectful environment for all religious communities in India.